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In a stark response to escalating security threats, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced a 30-day suspension of all U.S. commercial flights to Haiti on Tuesday. The move follows two separate incidents on Monday in which commercial aircraft were struck by gunfire in Port-au-Prince airspace. A Spirit Airlines flight from Fort Lauderdale was approaching Toussaint Louverture International Airport when it came under fire, resulting in minor injuries to a flight attendant but no passenger casualties. In a separate incident, a JetBlue Airways flight bound for New York was hit shortly after takeoff.
The FAA’s Notice to Air Mission (NOTAM) restricts all U.S.-registered civil aviation operations below 10,000 feet over Haiti. While exceptions are in place for emergencies and U.S. government-authorized flights, the ban represents a significant measure of caution amid Haiti’s deepening security crisis.
JetBlue and Spirit have already suspended all flights to and from Haiti, with JetBlue extending its halt through December 2 and Spirit pending further review of the situation. American Airlines has also temporarily suspended flights, affecting key travel routes to and from Haiti.
The incidents come amid rising violence in Port-au-Prince, fueled by conflicts between heavily armed gangs and law enforcement. On the day of the attacks, tensions were further inflamed by the removal of Prime Minister Garry Conille and the appointment of businessman Alix Didier Fils-Aimé by the country’s transitional presidential council. The decision has stoked political unrest and led to threats of violence by gang coalitions.
With the FAA’s ban in effect, Haiti faces significant disruption to air travel and commerce, deepening the isolation of a country already grappling with severe political, economic, and humanitarian challenges.
